Education lawyers’ awards success

Harrison Clark Rickerbys’ education team has won Acquisition International Magazine’s Best Education M&A Team award for 2018 and been listed as a finalist in two categories in the prestigious EducationInvestor Awards 2018.

The team, led by partner and Head of Education Kristine Scott, focuses solely on education and includes specialists in corporate, charities, commercial, employment, immigration, real estate and regulatory law. They also have international and banking expertise, creating the kind of support for a transaction which addresses problems before they arise, with an innovative and non-formulaic approach.

The team’s work for a Chinese investment fund, China Financial Services Holdings Ltd, on its first strategic investment in the UK education sector, acquiring the assets of Thetford Grammar School, helped to win them the M&A award. They have also acted for several other Chinese funds on the acquisition of schools this year, as well as for an independent school on its merger with a large charitable group of schools.

Acquisition International magazine focuses on corporate finance and makes awards globally each year.

In the EducationInvestor Awards, which recognise outstanding contributions to the education sector and will be presented in October, the team has been chosen as finalists alongside other leading national firms for their expert legal advice related to dealmaking and for their advice to education institutions.

Kristine Scott said; “The M&A award is recognition of the great work the education team does every day, and being selected as finalists for the EducationInvestor awards reinforces that message – we focus on getting to the heart of a client’s needs and developing innovative  solutions which support and enable a deal’s completion. Our insight, detailed knowledge of the education sector and contacts also help our clients to make useful connections which can be instrumental in their success.”

The team is based in Cheltenham but works nationally and internationally – it has strong links with the Independent Schools’ Bursars Association and offers particular expertise to independent schools, as well as supporting academy trusts and working with both further and higher education bodies.